Car hire prices at London Gatwick Airport

For November 2026 at London Gatwick Airport, budget around £31 a day for a Compact, the Volkswagen Golf size, booked around a month before your trip, as your starting point for comparing prices. A Mini, the Kia Picanto size, averages £23 a day, while an Intermediate, the Skoda Octavia size, averages £37 at that lead time. In the last 2 weeks before pickup, a Compact car averages £26 a day, £5 less a day. Use the price checker to compare your quote for your exact dates.

At London Gatwick Airport, wait until around 2 weeks before pickup: a Compact car averages £26 a day for November 2026, versus £34 across the year at that lead time. For November 2026, a Compact car averages £31 a day around a month before pickup, so the last 2 weeks cost £5 less a day. Across the year, a Compact car averages £51 a day around 9 months before your trip, from 3,356 prices, so you have not missed the cheaper booking window. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of bookings through our sites are made within a month of pickup, based on 24,946 bookings.

Dollar is the cheapest company at London Gatwick Airport for a Compact car, averaging £32 a day over the last 12 months from 528 prices, but you need a credit card for its deposit. Dollar scores 89/100 from 50 reviews and holds a typical £750 deposit, so check your available credit before choosing it. Budget averages £34 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months from 512 prices, £2 more a day, but accepts debit cards and holds £330; Budget scores 85/100 from 52 reviews.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Choose Alamo for the highest review score at London Gatwick Airport: it scores 90/100 from 63 reviews, with an average desk wait of 18 minutes, though it is not the cheapest company. Over the last 12 months, Alamo averages £45 a day for a Compact car from 902 prices, while Dollar averages £32 from 528 prices, making Alamo £13 more a day. Dollar scores 89/100 from 50 reviews and averages a 23-minute desk wait, so compare that cheaper option before choosing Alamo solely for its score.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At London Gatwick Airport, deposits range from £50 with U-Save or Green Motion to £1,800 with Drivalia, so check your available balance; 5 of the 13 desks take debit cards. 7 desks require a credit card, while Sixt accepts debit cards for some cars only, so check the rule for the car you select. Filter for debit-card acceptance before comparing prices, then check the deposit shown beside each car. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

At London Gatwick Airport, check card restrictions and allow time at the desk before planning your onward drive, because 7 of the 13 desks require a credit card. Dollar requires a credit card and holds a typical £750 deposit, so its low daily price does not remove the need for available credit. Sixt accepts debit cards for some cars only, so confirm your selected car qualifies before booking. Budget and National each average a 26-minute desk wait; allow for that when arranging anything after collection.

Only 35% of prices at London Gatwick Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For a group with luggage at London Gatwick Airport, choose an Intermediate, the Skoda Octavia size, at £37 a day for November 2026 around a month before pickup, rather than choosing solely on seats. An Intermediate car seats 5 but takes 4 bags, so check your group's luggage before booking. At the same lead time for November 2026, a Compact, the Volkswagen Golf size, takes 3 bags at £31 a day, £6 less a day, while a Fullsize, the Mercedes C Class size, costs £48 a day, £11 more a day, without increasing the 4-bag allowance. 59% of cars offered over the last 12 months are automatic, so filter for one; across all batches, Compact cars average £50 a day automatic versus £41 manual, £9 more a day, from 45,616 prices. Electric cars account for 7% of cars offered and hybrids for 2%, so filter for those smaller selections if you want either.